The Opelousas courier., 1887-06-25
SPRUCE GUM.
Gathering tlaa Product i
Sprus Trses In Maine.
A. Brief Chapter Of Interesting Facts Con
eerning This Industry.

y BsieA ghezfsSA " &htutDSk4HB E>& u0n-
earning This Industry.
IA lump of Gear, genuine spruce gum.
fresh and fragrant from its native forest,
il mot to hc desp:sed as achew ing SUBJ
stance, md if everybody could get The
real article, instead Of cheap, adulterated
stuff, the army Of chewers would be vast-
il augmented. say d Bradford (Me. j ct-
tel to The NV York sur. The natural.
gum is said by physicians to BE- beueG
cial 10 tho teeth, and il IS certainty d
great Improvement on tobacco. The
woodsmeu bring out considerable oaar-
titles Of gum, sonastsmas packet in
pretty miniature barrels, which they
Whittlc m carve fran blocks Of white
pine or cedar during :dic llours By the
camp ffe, as PRESENTS for their frien Is,
but there are people who mako i bust
ness Of gathering gnm, md in certain
sections d tls spruce country II pays
well.
Most of tho spruce gum handled by
the dealers comes from Cana la and
northern Ma;nr, while Vermont anil New
Hampshire contribute a modcrtts guam
siky To The total yield. Tho best gum
come from NJ particular section, but
always from the biggest spruce trees, and
ii begins to III IN Ju or Angus, when,
inthcsc high latitu les, the sun becomes
30 hot as to crack the bark. On the limbs.
IN the c~sofches, AM evan in the trunk
III the spruce, the molten gum forms
during the heat Of summer in all sorts Of
fantastic shapes, AMI when cold weather
sets in it becomes hard. Tho first year
sfter its rnn the gum Is white and pitchY,
Hen It begins to turn amber and red,
it'd the second yer It is ct 10 pick
fsr the market, aIthou Ii it is better If
alowed 10 remain on t . trees until the
third year. After the third season the
lin remains in the same state for several
ysars and then begins TO turn oil, as
he piiekers say, and the consumer COM
plans that ii sscacws hard, and crum-
bles up. e little more ago makes II dark
c0loSed and bitter aad then its value is
gons.
Uain Clnada much Of tho gum Is
ekaa in tl:c autumn, beginning as early
0ciob but there, as IN Maine, tile best
time Tor the work il during the deep
anp'ss 81 the winter, when snowshoes
IN ased. Of in the early spring, when i
saaa cga travel along at d lively rate
"a shs heavy crust, abovO the under
bFus. tbs fckers arc proviIel with
aAS pole, on the end Of which Is FMS
i sharp c~itiscl, md underneath
cup y receive Che gpm Is i
il pped of. Tho cup holds from 1
Iao aquArt, and whsn faIIitis emp
EatU d long bag which she packer
Ssfiies sluas to his bacxiika 1 knaosack.
heAe gurn lsarvesters cract llits IN the
F6ods when far distant from a settle
@sat 81 logging : mp, AMI stay from
kEedsTs to j wecs on q trip. When
ag AaTe secured all they can s'totcn
como ont, and then the women and
dFaaa have tho tedious job Of scraping
ard every lamp free from bark and
Thc clean. bright article offered
sse ID the shops looks very much
aht from tho brown nuggets in the
H%
sFs bag, although occasionally d
8aRs shiny piece is found on the limb
alaEse srce.
rs tho & Gaming Of the gum that
gEes y hrst-class article expensive. An
Eaiaasy picker usually earns fair days
although III localities that have
sas been explored he sometimes strikes
firh Illave Known d man q gather
worth Of gum IL one day.
There are two Or three firms In Maine
Ieh bay large quantities Of gum from
Nab rncn and pIckcrs for the purpose
s8aing II, as they say. But, as q
eEas rule, the refining consists Of
lerating WITH f6sin. They throw
a1n into i big vat bark, moss and
I'D boil il /, about the consistency
HoIAascs, skinming Of the impurities
ride 70 the surface. Then, II The
pazhsa be to saduifertte, some lard on
hW ID. 1 i lot of rosin IS thrown il,
s9nesisaes 4 little sugar. The mix-
afe si;fFed until thick. and then pour